


This is Your Answer?

by jonnyluvssherlock



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Clones, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, John's just tired, M/M, Science Fiction, aruging, multiple sherlock's, struggling relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-19
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-19 23:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1488751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jonnyluvssherlock/pseuds/jonnyluvssherlock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Sherlock are going though a rough patch in there relationship.  Sherlock think's he's found the answer to there problem but his solution might be John's worst nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is Your Answer?

**Author's Note:**

> after reading a ton of clone fic's I found myself grumbling about certain aspects of them and instead of writing rude comments on peoples fic's I decided I would just write my own. this work was not inspired by one fic in general but is my answer to what I thought was missing from the Sherlock fandom clones fic's after reading them.
> 
> my beta for this was izxo-ox who is so good at helping me figure out what the heck I'm trying to say and making me feel like I'm not going to embarrass myself by posting my work. thank you.
> 
> this is based off a prompt for something I have forgotten but the prompt I used is
> 
> Prompt: “The dead body was the least of their worries.”
> 
> Note: Please do not redistribute my fanfiction on other archives or sites such as goodreads or ebooks tree without my express permission.

John came home ready for a lie down. He was tired and despite how much he loved Sherlock he was not looking forward to seeing him. Sherlock had been distant recently. In the past few months he and Sherlock had hardly spent any time together unless they were on a case and even then Sherlock was often gone when John woke up, already working and having not bothered to ask if John wanted to join him. 

Sherlock seemed determined to work constantly; he had even converted 221C into a lab so John wouldn’t disturb him during his experiments. John felt alone. They weren’t having sex; they hardly slept at the same time. Sometimes John slept in his old room; if he was going to sleep alone he might as well do it where Sherlock coming in to look for things in the middle of the night wouldn’t disturb him.

John reached the landing and realized he could hear voices. Sherlock was home and he had company. If it was a case he was sending Sherlock on his own. He’d been doing it enough lately; last time he’d been at a crime scene Donovan had asked him if he and Sherlock still worked together.

John unlocked the flat and looked into the living room but neither Lestrade or Mycroft were there. The voices had clearly been male so that left out Mrs. Hudson.

“Ah John, you’re home. Good.” John turned and looked towards his and Sherlock’s bedroom. Standing in the hall outside it were two Sherlocks.

Clearly John was much more tired then he thought.

Both their faces made the expression John loathed and loved: the one Sherlock made when he realized John wasn’t keeping up and he was going to tell him what he had missed.

Sherlock One, dressed in a black suit and purple shirt, began. “This is not exhaustion talking: there really is two of me.” Both Sherlock’s smiled.

“The reason I moved the lab down stairs is because I wanted to do some more large scale experiments.” Sherlock Two, dressed in a dark blue suit with a white shirt, smiled at John. “I think you’ll have to admit I’ve outdone myself.”

“So this is what you’ve been doing downstairs? Making more of you.” John paused. His boyfriend had cloned himself; his fucking boyfriend had decided he needed a spare of himself. Why? Ah the work, always the work. “Well have a good time solving the universe.” John needed a drink.

Sherlock one reached for him. “No, I did this for you.” He looked hopeful, like a child showing an art project to a parent afraid to be criticized.

“For me? How is this for me?” John gestured to both Sherlock’s, who had gotten rather close in the last minute.

“Now I can work and spend time with you at the same time.” Sherlock Two preened himself; fixing his jacket and giving John a look that at any other time would have made his stomach drop for all the right reasons. At this present moment however, John was feeling lightheaded and felt that he’d very much like to go to sleep and wake up when the nightmare was over.

The two Sherlock’s looked at each other, feeling quite impressed with themselves judging by their expressions.

John sighed, pinching his temple and frowning. “How does this work then? One of you is a clone so do you know who the original is? What are the differences?”

“Very good question John.” Sherlock One smiled.

“We have the same memories. The clone was implanted with an exact copy. Then our memories started to differ.” Sherlock Two looked to Sherlock One.

“The moment the clone woke up, we started to be different. We experience the same moments but in different ways.”

John nodded. “The original watched the clone wake up and the clone remembers waking up for the first time yet having old memories.”

Both Sherlock’s stared at John. 

“I watched old B-movies with my dad sometimes as a kid.” John said shrugging. He was just about to make his escape to bed when Sherlock’s phone beeped.

Sherlock Two reached into his pocket and read the text. 

“It’s a case. Lestrade wants to know if we can help. He promises it’s at least an eight.”

“How many?” John asked, wanting to talk about anything but the odd situation he’d got himself into.

“Hmmm?”

“Bodies?”

“Oh just the one. Lestrade says he has an eight but it’s probably nothing more then a six. Still, I should go look.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“No.” Sherlock Two put a hand up to stop him. “You’re not coming. You two have plans if I’m not mistaken.”

“Yes we do.” Sherlock One smiled at John. It’s was a soft smile, the one Sherlock did when was he flirting with John.

John was so distracted that he missed Sherlock Two leaving the kitchen. His attention was brought back to him when he heard him call back to them.

“You two have fun. I’ll be back late.” Sherlock Two winked at them and John’s stomach twisted.

That had to be the real Sherlock. Because Sherlock would never give up the work for what ever John and this Sherlock were suppose to be doing. Sadness filled John as he realized what was happening. He really needed to lie down now, alone if possible.

John moved past Sherlock towards the bathroom, ready to brush his teeth and get into bed. Hopefully when he woke up the clone would be gone.

“I have a reservation at a French restaurant. You might want to clean up.”

John turned to stare at the Sherlock who he was not sure was his boyfriend or a copy of his boyfriend. “What?”

“We’re going on a date.” He looked so pleased; so smug that John wanted to laugh. Sherlock’s face fell as John failed to look impressed. “If you’re too tired we can just order food and cuddle on the couch?”

These were things John had been longing to hear from Sherlock. Things he had wanted to happen. But not like this.

“Let’s go out.” It would be better then cuddling. John wasn’t sure he could handle that at the moment.

Sherlock smiled at him.

“Just give me five minutes.” John shut the bathroom door after himself and took a deep breath. He could do this. He would just pretend it was Sherlock. He could do that. Then he’d get home and play sick and go to bed upstairs, alone.

 

At the restaurant John made it through the appetizer without mentioning anything about their odd situation. Luckily for him, Sherlock suddenly felt like filling John in on all the cases he’d missed out on because Sherlock had taken off on his own or because John had been at work and unable to leave.

Sherlock kept the conversation light and John kept his wine glass full. He was probably drinking too much but if he were drunk when he got back to the flat it would help with his excuse.

“So… which one are you?” John asked, sipping at his third glass of wine. He had interrupted a story Sherlock was telling him about finding a body in a locker, which, if John was honest, wasn’t good dinner conversation. Sherlock was far too detailed in his descriptions.

“Does it matter?” Sherlock smiled at him over the table, ignoring his food his hands clapped on the table in front of him.

John sighed. “I suppose it doesn’t. The reason you were made, no matter what Sherlock tells himself, is because he finds keeping up a relationship tedious,” John stated bitterly. “So he cloned himself to send you to deal with the boring bits so he doesn’t have to step away from his work.” It was the only other reason John could come up with. If this clone wasn’t so Sherlock could do twice the work at once, then it must be because, despite the fact the he didn’t seem to want to put effort into their relationship, he didn’t want it to end.

The (real) Sherlock froze. Then plastered his smile back onto his face. “Is that really what you think?”

“Why else would he do this?” John looked up but looked any where but Sherlock’s eyes. “You say you have the same memories and personality, but after you were created you started living different lives. Right now you two are doing different things and while you can talk about the experience they won’t be the same as living them.”

Sherlock shifted in his seat. “You think I was created so that Sherlock could devote himself completely to his work while not giving you up. Why?”

John shrugged. “He’s selfish? He got really involved with his work a few months back as you know, so I started working more and seeing old friends, spending a lot of time away from the flat. It took him a while to notice I was hardly there.”

Sherlock didn’t mention he noticed. Like John said, he was too involved with his work to ask John where he was.

“So I figure he cloned you so that he can be in two places at one,” John continued. “He can keep working non-stop and he can also keep an eye on me, the possessive bastard.”

Sherlock raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t get me wrong. I love him, possessive behavior and all, but this isn’t the answer. Because this isn’t us together, and he’s not going to remember anything that happens between you and I. You can tell him in as much detail as you like but he won’t have lived it.”

Sherlock nodded. “You don’t want to be handed off from spare to spare never knowing if you’re really loved.”

A knot formed in John’s stomach. “I think I’ve lost my appetite.” John sat back and thought about how much he had in savings. It wasn’t much, but if he didn’t set his sights on London or if he got a flat share he would be able to move out.

“I should get you home.” Sherlock realized something has soured in John and he had better fix it soon.

The cab ride back to the flat was quiet. John kept going over how many more hours he could get at the clinic, and how much he had in his bank account. If he added it to his pension he should be all right. He would need to start looking now. Hopefully in a week or so he would have a place and he could move out.

So that was it. He was breaking up with Sherlock. Not only their relationship, but also them working together, and no more blogging. It was a depressing thought. John loved Sherlock and despite how weird things had gotten between them, he had hoped things would work out. Could he really leave him? John wasn’t quite sure.

Sherlock paid for the cab and followed John inside. John could feel him watching him as he took off his coat and headed to the kitchen for the bottle of scotch.

“I think you’ve had enough. You’ll make yourself sick.” Sherlock leaned in and took the bottle before John could pour himself a glass.

“I’m already sick,” John shoved Sherlock away from himself gently. “My boyfriend thinks it’s sexy to clone himself so he doesn’t have to deal with our relationship.”

“That’s not what happened John.”

“Oh? Did you not ignore me for the past for I don’t know how long? Made me feel like I lived in this flat alone?”

Sherlock started at him, and his expression flickered back and forth between confused and indignation.

“You abandoned me and I let you. You always told me the work came first, and I always thought as long as I was a part of the work I could be important to you, but then you stopped taking me. You went off into your own little world where I couldn’t find you, and your idea of a solution was to copy yourself so that I wouldn’t leave. You won’t admit it, but you need me. I stoke your ego and I love you, no matter what you do to me.”

“John.”

“No!” John stopped and looked at the man in front of him. This conversation could be pointless. This was most likely a clone that would tell the real Sherlock about John’s meltdown but he wouldn’t see it for himself. “No you don’t get to do that. Because you’re not real, you’re something he made and don’t say it was for me because this was for him. He needed an extra set of hands to handle his problems. You know what I first thought he had made you for? So you two could work on cases together. Finally someone who could keep up with him.”

“John, please listen for just one second.” It was the broken expression on Sherlock’s face that made John stop.

“I’m the original.” Sherlock looked at him for some kind of understanding. “I cloned myself so I could spend more time with you.”

“No.”

“I know what it feels like and after everything I’ve heard tonight, I don’t blame you John. But I do love you. You’re right; I have been working a lot lately. I’ve been obsessed and I’ve forgotten about you far too much. When I looked up you had started filling your time with other things, other people, and that worried me.”

“So instead of taking on less work you made two of you?”

“In hindsight, a bad idea. I didn’t realize you were having so many negative feelings about our relationship. I thought you would see the humor and we could have some fun while my clone did all the leg work.”

John didn’t know what to believe. He wanted to believe that he was being told the truth and maybe that was enough. “Did you really think I’d think this was fun? Because there is no way I was every going to have a three way with your clone.”

Sherlock gingerly reached out for him letting a smile creep onto his face. “A man can dream.” John let himself be pulled against Sherlock. 

“I love you so much John.” Sherlock sighed and tightened his grip. “I am going to work less, and include you more. If I do will you cut back your hours and spend more time around the flat?”

John nodded.

Sherlock pulled back enough to look at him. “You were right, I am a possessive man - which should have been your clue that I would never send you on a date with anyone. Not even my clone.”

John smiled, and when Sherlock leaned down to kiss him he didn’t pull away. It had been so long since they had last kissed. At first they just softly pressed their lips together, and then Sherlock’s tongue darted out to his lips. John opened them and let him in. The kiss remained indulgent as Sherlock’s armed tightened around John. Sherlock’s lips traveled down to John’s jaw and to his neck.

“I’m not having sex with you tonight.”

Sherlock pulled away looking stung. “Why not?”

“Because I’m tried and drunk and it’s been a long day. Also, I don’t want the other you to walk in and think he can join in.” John shuddered. “Seriously, it’s been a long and weird day and I just want to sleep.”

“Can we sleep together?”

“Yes.”

“If I get rid of the clone tomorrow can we have sex?”

John didn’t want to think what ‘get rid of’ meant so he didn’t think about it. “Yes.”

“Then lets go to bed.”

 

The next morning John woke feeling better then he had in a long time. He supposed he and Sherlock just had to get to the breaking point before things could get better. And what could get better than a Saturday morning, no work, and waking up in Sherlock’s arms feeling his breath on the back of his neck. John snuggled back to Sherlock as he held him closer, nuzzling against his neck.

John slowly opened his eyes and was greeted by Sherlock’s sleeping face just inches from his. John’s heart stopped. There was a Sherlock behind him and a Sherlock in front of him. This was too strange. 

John looked down to the arms holding him and noticed the SH just inside Sherlock’s wrist. The mark was smudged slightly from when he’d drawn it on the night before but it let him know who the original was and who the clone was.

“Sherlock!” John whispered, softly nudging back with his elbow against the Sherlock holding him. Both of them heard him and opened their eyes. Suddenly two sets of arms tried to embrace him.

“Good morning John.” They both said almost in sync.

“Too weird too weird!”

The original looked over John’s shoulder at his clone. “What do you think your doing?”

“Spending time with John.” The other glared, and John grabbed his pillow and shoved it over his face.

“You are to solve crimes only! You don’t belong in this bed!” The real Sherlock let go of John and stood up in the bed. John watched as he took the clone by the arm and started dragging him out of the bed and then the room.

“But what about that fantasy?!” John heard as the two of them disappeared.

John refused to get out of bed. He was going to go back to sleep and when he woke up he would either be alone or there would be only one Sherlock.

The bed indented loudly next to him as if someone had done a belly flop into it. John refused to open his eyes.

“Are you alone?”

“Yes, sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. It was weird and it can never happen again but it’s not your fault.” John opened his eyes and looked over at Sherlock who had indeed belly flopped into the bed. “Come here.” John opened his arms and Sherlock crawled up into them. John checked his wrist just to make sure it was the right Sherlock, which made Sherlock laugh. “I want to sleep a little longer, then we’ll have breakfast and if that clone is truly gone you can have me any way you want me.”

Sherlock kissed his neck. “Sounds like a good day”.

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is going to be part of a larger series and while I have an idea for a fic for the future I would like to open the floor for idea's for installment in this world. at this time I am not looking to write any fic's about John and Sherlock having sex with any of the clones or John having sex with the clones, or the clones having an orgy. but if you have prompts you can post them in the comment section and I will look at them for idea's.
> 
> (you can ask for smut, but it will be just between John and the original Sherlock if I write it)


End file.
